Brazilian soccer legend Pelé — who was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento — died Thursday at the age of 82, confirmed by his official Twitter account, as well as his agent to the Associated Press.
He had been hospitalized in Sao Paulo since the end of November with a respiratory infection exacerbated by COVID-19, USA TODAY reported.
A superstar in the truest sense, Pelé is considered one of the best soccer players to take the field and was a dazzlingly prolific goal-scorer. His list of career accolades is remarkable, including winning three World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970) and making his debut at age 17 as the youngest player ever at the tournament.
A inspiração e o amor marcaram a jornada de Rei Pelé, que faleceu no dia de hoje.
Amor, amor e amor, para sempre.
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Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pelé, who peacefully passed away today.Love, love and love, forever. pic.twitter.com/CP9syIdL3i
— Pelé (@Pele) December 29, 2022
Soccer legend Pelé died on Thursday at the age of 82.
For over 60 years Pelé stood alone as Brazil’s all-time leading scorer (1962-2022) until he was tied during this World Cup. pic.twitter.com/WbRCHnTjis
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 29, 2022
He was an exceptional soccer player, a king and a hero to many, and following the news of his death, the soccer world paid tribute to the legend.